Kathmandu: Nepali Congress president Koirala is yet to come back to senses from the shock he felt on the sudden announcement of the ceasefire by the government and the Maoists on January 29.

He is yet to reconcile with the fast changing political events in the country that began unfolding in series after the January 29 declaration. In the process, he is linking each and every move of the government and the Maoists for talks with his “grand design” theory. Nevertheless, he is meeting the Maoists leaders but yet finds it difficult to digest the peace formula that the Maoists and the government apparently have drafted prior to sitting on the negotiating table.

In sum, Koirala sees a threat to him, his party, the system and the constitution simply because the ceasefire was announced without taking him in confidence. According to him, that was a Himalayan blunder.

The Deuba party has mixed reactions to the suddenly announced ceasefire agreement. If on the one hand the Deuba congress is forced to hail the announcement but remains skeptical about the outcome of the talks.

To recall, it was Deuba who during his tenure as prime minister managed talks with the rebels which continued till the third round and abruptly failed.

The Maoists leaders, Mr. Mahara and Dina Nath Sharma, who met Deuba at his residence the other day were supposedly taken aback when Deuba pressed them to divulge the origin of the last telephone call that instantly brought the talks to a grinding halt.

“From where you guys received the last telephone call? Was the question that Deuba continuously posed to the Maoists leaders at his residence. The Maoists leaders did not divulge the details of the last telephone call.

Understandably, most of the leaders of the political parties remain puzzled over the government’s readiness to go in for a constituent assembly. They opine how the political interests of two diametrically opposed forces, that is the republicanists and the monarchists, could be satisfied through the formation of a constituent assembly?

Analysts say that the demand for a constituent assembly by the republicanists is understandable, but what is mysterious is the monarchists too agreeing to go in for a constituent assembly?

According to analysts, what makes the monarchists so sure about the outcome of the voting of the constituent assembly members in their favor? They hasten to add what if the CA favored a republican state? Will the King compromise?

All these put together, the political parties see designs in the agreement arrived at between the monarchists and the Maoists for a constituent assembly. They fear that the outcome of the CA voting might strengthen the hands of the constitutional monarch and thus appear reluctant in giving a nod to the formation of a constituent Assembly.

The Maoists appear adamant in favor of constituent assembly. The political parties exhibit their reluctance.

In the meanwhile, the newly appointed Chairman of the Royal Standing Committee, Mr. Parsu Narayan Chaudhary, has floated yet another idea other than the formation of the constituent assembly.

“If the political parties rise above personal gains and leaders shed their ego to build a national consensus, extensive constitutional amendment and reforms could find a way out of the current crisis”, says Honorable Chaudhary.

Mr. Chaudhary’s highly political remarks have come at a time when most of the political parties have been opposing the formation of a constituent assembly as demanded by the rebels.

It is altogether a different matter to ascertain as to whose voice Monsieur Chaudhary ventilated; the political parties’ or those of the monarch’s?

If it were a voice spoken by Chaudhary in favor of the political parties then what could be its underlying meaning? By the same token, if Chaudhary’s remarks ventilated the monarch’s inner feelings then should this mean that the latter too is against the formation of a constituent assembly. It further should mean that the monarch too is ready to discuss extensive constitutional amendments so that the would be amendments take proper care of those who remained totally neglected by the 1990 constitution.

But the Maoists will not settle for less than constituent assembly; round table conference and an all party interim government.

In the meanwhile, Dr. Henning Karcher, the Country representative of the UN system in Nepal has said that “long term peace in Nepal is possible only if the root causes of the conflict are properly addressed”.

In saying so, Dr. Karcher hints that the Maoists insurgency were the cumulative effect of frustrations of the marginalised population of the country since the country adopted a multiparty system in 1990. “Abject poverty and inefficient delivery of social services are solely to be blamed for the present state of affairs”, added Dr. Karcher.

To sum up, analysts fail to understand as to why the major political parties appear shy in facing a constituent assembly? Does this mean that they feel ashamed in facing a public whom they cheated all along thirteen years of the socalled democratic rule?

If this is so then they have to face the music at time when they would go to seek votes. But the Maoists rebels will not settle for less which means that the country is all set to gear up for a constituent assembly.

Unconfirmed sources say that the monarch might address the nation shortly and will declare a sort of referendum with two options: should the country go in for a constituent assembly or the 1990 constitution be extensively amended to address the grievances of the people who were grossly neglected by the politicians who drafted the 1990 constitution?

But will the Maoists give a nod to this referendum that is still in its embryonic stage? And that about the round-table conference? Who is to summon this conference? The King or the Chand government?

All put together, several nitty-gritties appear to be sorted out before the round table conference is convened.